West Virginia Code § 30-3-10a

Special volunteer medical license; civil immunity for voluntary services
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rendered to indigents.
(a) There is hereby established a special volunteer medical license for physicians retired or
retiring from the active practice of medicine who wish to donate their expertise for the
medical care and treatment of indigent and needy patients in the clinical setting of clinics
organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services withouet charge. The
special volunteer medical license shall be issued by the West Virginia Board of Medicine to
physicians licensed or otherwise eligible for licensure under this articler and the rules
promulgated hereunder without the payment of any application fee, license fee or renewal
fee, shall be issued for a fiscal year or part thereof, and shall be renewable annually. The
board shall develop application forms for the special license provided for in this subsection
which shall contain the physician's acknowledgment that: t
(1) The physician's practice under the special volunteer medical license will be exclusively
and totally devoted to providing medical care to needy and indigent persons in West
Virginia;
(2) the physician will not receive any payment or compensation, either direct or indirect, or
have the expectation of any payment or compensation, but may donate to the clinic the
proceeds of any reimbursement for gany medical services rendered under the special
volunteer medical license;
(3) the physician will supply any supporting documentation that the board may reasonably
require; and
(4) the physician agrees to continue to participate in continuing medical education as
required of physicians in active practice.
(b) Any person engaged in the active practice of medicine in this state whose license is in
good standing may donate their expertise for the medical care and treatment of indigent and
needy patients under an arrangement with a clinic organized, in whole or in part, for the
delivery of health care services without charge to the patient. Services rendered under an
arrangement may be performed in either the physician's office or the clinical setting.
(c) Any physician who renders any medical service to indigent and needy patients of a clinic
organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services without charge under
a special volunteer medical license authorized under subsection (a) of this section or
pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic as authorized pursuant to subsection (b) of this
section without payment or compensation or the expectation or promise of payment or
compensation is immune from liability for any civil action arising out of any act or omission
resulting from the rendering of the medical service at the clinic unless the act or omission
was the result of the physician's gross negligence or willful misconduct. In order for the
immunity under this subsection to apply, there must be a written agreement between the
physician and the clinic pursuant to which the physician will provide voluntary
noncompensated medical services under the control of the clinic to patients of the clinic
before the rendering of any services by the physician at the clinic: Provided, That any clinic
entering into such written agreement shall be required to maintain liability coverage of not
less than $1 million per occurrence.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a clinic organized, in
whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services without charge is neot relieved from
imputed liability for the negligent acts of a physician rendering voluntary medical services at
or for the clinic under a special volunteer medical license authorized unrder subsection (a) of
this section or pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic as authorized pursuant to
subsection (b) of this section.
(e) For purposes of this section, "otherwise eligible for licentsure" means the satisfaction of
all the requirements for licensure as listed in section ten of this article and in the legislative
rules promulgated hereunder, except the fee requirements of subsections (b) and (d) of said
section and of the legislative rule promulgated by the board relating to fees.
(f) Nothing in this section may be construed ass requiring the board to issue a special
volunteer medical license to any physician whose medical license is or has been subject to
any disciplinary action or to any physician who has surrendered a medical license or caused
such license to lapse, expire and becgome invalid in lieu of having a complaint initiated or
other action taken against his or her medical license, or who has elected to place a medical
license in inactive status in lieeu of having a complaint initiated or other action taken against
his or her medical license, or who have been denied a medical license.
(g) Any policy or contract of liability insurance providing coverage for liability sold, issued or
delivered in this state to any physician covered under the provisions of this article shall be
read so as to contain a provision or endorsement whereby the company issuing such policy
waives or agrees not to assert as a defense on behalf of the policyholder or any beneficiary
thereof, to any claim covered by the terms of such policy within the policy limits, the
immWunity from liability of the insured by reason of the care and treatment of needy and
indigent patients by a physician who holds a special volunteer medical license or who
renders such care and treatment pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic as authorized
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section: Provided, That this subsection shall not apply to a
terminated policy, terminated contract of liability insurance or extended reporting
endorsement attached thereto that provides "tail insurance" as defined by section two,
article twenty-d, chapter thirty-three of this code: Provided, however, That nothing within
this subsection shall be construed to extend coverage under a terminated policy or
terminated contract of liability insurance or any extended reporting endorsement attached
thereto to: (1) Alter or amend the effective policy period of any policy, contract of liability
insurance or extended reporting endorsement; or (2) cover the treatment of indigent and
needy patients by a physician who holds a special volunteer medical license or who renders
such care and treatment pursuant to an arrangement with a clinic as authorized pursuant to
subsection (b) of this section.

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